A Glimpse of Hope
by Little Miss Annie
Summary: Hope had been running from her past for so long that stopping seemed impossible. But when she met Dean, she had no idea how her life would change. Could she finally stop running? Or would her past catch up with her?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The day started like any other day: Hope got up, took a shower and got dressed into her diner uniform. She tied her hair into a messy bun and went to work.

Hope was of average height, a bit curvy, with long, dark brown hair and brown eyes. Not what guys usually look for.

She drove to the diner, taking in the sights of her small town, thinking of how beautiful and peaceful it was.

As she started her shift, she recognized some of her regular costumers at their usual booths on her side of the diner. As she was making her way through the room, to put some dirty dishes away, she notices a man sitting at one of her booths, that wasn't a regular. She picked up the coffee pot and approached the man:

-''Good morning. My name is Hope and I'm going to be your server. What can I get you today?'' – she said with a smile, noticing that the man had piercing apple green eyes and strikes of gold in his light brown, messy hair.

-''Good morning. What do you recommend?'' – said the man with a smile that showed that he had been through a lot.

-''Well, we are known to have the best pies in the county.''

As she said that, the face of the man lit up and he gave her a childlike smile as he asked what kind of pies did they had.

-''Today we have raspberry, strawberry and apple pies, freshly baked.'' – she answered with an even bigger smile.

The man decided to go with a slice of apple pie and a cup of black coffee. As she was filling his cup, she couldn't help but noticed how kind his eyes looked and caught herself thinking what would be like to be in his arms and have those eyes looking straight into her soul. Not soon after that, she brought him his pie and returned to her other booths.

For the rest of her shift she couldn't stop thinking about him. What was about that man that made him different from all the other men that come to the diner? She didn't know, all she knew was that she wanted to see him again.

Soon her shift was over and she was headed home. Driving through town she started thinking of how she got there in the first place. It felt like it was a million years ago, when in fact it's only been four years since she got there, on a cold winter night. She had been running for so long that, by the time she got to that small town, she thought that it was time to stop running. She left behind a life of sadness, loneliness, hurt and pain, both emotional and physical. She was running from an abusive relationship, her, now ex, boyfriend put her through hell during their relationship until one day she decided that enough was enough and she left. But her boyfriend wasn't going to let that happen, so he started looking for her. Every time she was feeling safe in one place, he would appear and she had to leave again. But now, it had been four years and he hasn't come for her. She never felt completely safe, but she could breathe a bit easier.

Soon she was home, took a shower and made dinner. The next day everything would start again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Over the next month, the green-eyed man became a regular at the diner, always sitting on Hope's booths. Every day he would have the same thing: a slice of pie and black coffee. Every time Hope would see him come in, she would prepare a slice of pie and grabbed the coffee pot and took it to him with a smile. After a while he gave her a nickname: Smiles, because she was always smiling, no matter how slammed in work she was.

One morning, as Hope is serving the man, he noticed that she was particularly happy that day.

-''You look especially happy today, Smiles.'' – the man said with a smile. Seeing her smile was the best part of his day. Her smile was contagious; he would catch himself smiling throughout the entirety of his day just because of that.

Ever since that first day that he met her at the diner, that he couldn't get her out of his head. She would even appear in his dreams. He made sure he would always sit at her booths, he even gave her a cute nickname. If he could only find a way to ask her out without looking like a jerk, that would be like winning the jackpot. It wasn't like he didn't know how to flirt or seduce women; it was just that she was different. She didn't look like the type of girl who's up to a one night type of thing, neither did he wanted that, not with her.

-''Well, I am. It's my last day before vacation. After this shift, I'm officially on vacation. Won't be back for at least two weeks.'' – she said with a smile, which broke his heart. He wouldn't see her for two weeks. He had to find a way to change that.

-''For the next two weeks the only way you will catch me by a bar, it will be at the ''Drunk Duck'' having a cold beer and relaxing.'' – she said with yet another one of her big smiles before moving to another booth. And just like that he knew how he was still going to see her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The ''Drunk Duck'' was your normal small-town bar. You had the bar flies, the couples on a first date, friends celebrating a milestone and the occasional drop in.

Hope was sitting at the bar, wearing washed out jeans, a white t-shirt and a plaid shirt on top, drinking a beer and thinking why she had said that she would be at the bar to the green eyed man. She didn't mean to, it just happened. Yes, secretly she had hoped that he would come by the bar, but she thought that she had no chance. After all, he looked like the kind the guy who would rather be with a girl that looked like a supermodel other than with someone like her.

Oh, how wrong she was.

Not long after she got her beer, a guy approached her. He wasn't a local, which usually meant trouble.

-''What does a pretty girl like you doing alone?'' – said the man with a grin.

\- ''Not interested, buddy. Keep walking.''

-''Come on. I'm just trying to make a new friend.''

-''I've got plenty of friends, thank you.''

-''How about I buy you another beer and you give me a chance?'' – the man said, putting his hand on Hope's back, making her feel uncomfortable.

What neither Hope nor the man knew, was that the green eyed man was already at the bar and was watching as everything unfolded. He was about to go and talk to Hope when that guy approached her, so he waited thinking that it was someone that she knew. As he watched, he started noticing that Hope was getting really uncomfortable around that guy, so when the guy placed his hand on Hope's back and he saw her trying to subtly get away, he knew what he had to do.

-''Hey babe. Sorry I'm late.'' - he said to Hope, kissing her on the cheek, in the hopes she would just follow his lead.

She did.

-''Oh, hum, it's okay. I haven't been waiting long.''- she answered, taken aback by what was going on.

-''Excuse me, but we're talking.'' – said the other guy, thinking that he had any shot of getting his way with Hope.

-''Yeah, well, not anymore. So, if you don't mind, keep walking.''

-''Who the hell do you think you are?''

-''I'm her boyfriend.'' – said the green eyed man, much to Hope's surprise. She didn't even know he was at the bar and now he was helping her to get rid of this guy.

The guy left, murmuring something under his breath that neither of them understood. She looked at him with thankful eyes and that smile that filled his days.

-''Thank you. He was getting a bit annoying and I didn't know exactly how to send him packing.'' – she said with a smile.

-''Anytime. Just so you know, he's looking at us, so I'm gonna get a bit closer to you.'' – he said, making her blush a little as he said it.

-''Okay. No problem.''

They spend the rest of the night talking, she found out his name was Dean and that he just moved there for a job in construction. They laugh, talked, drink but always felt the eyes of the other guy on them. Eventually it was time to call it a night and Dean offered to drive her home, just in case the guy decided to follow her. She accepted, thinking that she was safer by his side other than going home alone.

As they made their way to his car, they heard a voice behind them.

-''Hey, you're a liar you know?''- said the guy who had been hitting on Hope earlier. She had a very familiar feeling in her stomach: fear. She could already see where this was going.

-''Yeah, how is that?'' - Dean said, knowing all too well what he was talking about.

-''She isn't your girlfriend and you just cut my chances of getting some tonight. So, what's gonna happen is: you're gonna walk away and she is coming with me back to the bar. Got that?''

As the other man said that, Dean pulled Hope behind him, so he would be between her and the man. There was no chance in hell he was going to let the man take her, let alone touch her. He could feel her shaking a bit, which just made his resolve of protecting her even stronger. He wasn't gonna let her go, not without a fight.

-''Guess we're going to have to agree to disagree, 'cause she's not going anywhere with you.'' – Dean said.

-''Hope, get in the truck'' – Dean whispered to her. She didn't want to leave his side, but when he said it again she could feel the urgency in his voice. She knew he just wanted to keep her safe and away from that guy.

As Hope jumped in the truck, she could see the men through the back window of the truck and she was scared. She saw the other man pulling a knife and swinging it towards Dean. Dean moved back, being able to stay away from the knife. Dean kicked the guy's hand, making him lose the knife. ''Now's a fair fight'', Hope thought. The other guy threw some punches at Dean, eventually hitting him just above his eye. Hope saw blood coming down Dean's face. Dean, at that point, didn't hold back. He hit the guy and after a couple good punches, knocked him out. That's when Hope got out of the truck and made her way towards Dean. She felt bad for what happened and, as she looked at Dean, she felt even worse. Dean had a cut above his eye, a busted lip and it looked like he might have had a fractured rib. As she got close to him, she saw that he had a relieved look in his eyes when he saw her.

-''Are you ok?'' – he asked her.

-''You're the one bleeding and you're asking me if I'm ok?''- she asked confused.

-''Oh, this, this is nothing. I've been worse.''

Hope took a tissue out of her bag and tried stopping the bleeding from the cut. Dean grabbed her hand. The touch of his hand on hers felt like they just got an electric shock, sending shivers down her spine.

-''I'm okay, Hope. Nothing a glass of scotch won't cure. Come on, let's get you home.'' – Dean said to her with a tender smile.

As they were making their way to her house, she couldn't help but think about what he had done for her that night. If it was any other man, they probably would think twice before doing something like that. But not Dean, he immediately protected her and fought for her without second guessing what he was doing.

As they got to her house, Hope asked Dean to come in so she could take care of those cuts. He gently tried declining but she said it was the least she could do for her ''knight in shiny armor'', smiling while she was saying it. He ended up agreeing just so he could be near her just a little while longer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, Hope was still thinking about what had happened the night before.

She was hit on at the bar by a guy she had no desire of getting to know; he made her feel really uncomfortable and that's when the green eyed man, that she now knew his name was Dean, showed up and saved her in more ways than one. He told the guy he was her boyfriend and when the guy didn't take no for an answer in the parking lot, Dean fought with the guy to keep her safe.

After Dean got her home that night, she asked him to come inside so she could take care of his wounds, but like every other man out there, he played tough and she had to convince him that it was the least she could do for her ''knight in shiny armor'' and that made him smile. God, that smile! She could look at that smile for the rest of her life.

Eventually, he had to leave because he had to work the next day, but not without promising her that, that night, beers were on him. She couldn't wait for the night to come, just so she could see him again.

That's when it hit her: she was falling for him and she was falling hard. She didn't know if he felt the same or not, but to be honest, she was scared to find out. What if he didn't? Then what? She couldn't afford another heartbreak. So, with that realization, she decided to never tell him how she felt.

At the same time, Dean was at work, trying to focus but failing miserably. All he could think about was Hope. Her smile, her touch, her laugh, her face, everything about her. He was falling in love with her and, for the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do. That's when the ghosts from his past came to his mind. He got afraid that his past might caught up with him and he didn't want to put her at risk, in the case that happened. No, he wouldn't. She meant too much to him to let something happen to her. Right there and then, he decided he wasn't going to tell her how he felt. He just couldn't risk her getting hurt because of his past.

The day went by and the night soon fell over the town.

Hope got ready to meet Dean at the bar. She decided she wouldn't dress up, so she wore black jeans with a black t-shirt and her old black combat boots. For some reason, that outfit always made her feel strong and she was going to need all of her strength not to fall even harder in love with him.

As she walked in the bar, Dean was already waiting for her at one of the tables. Looking from afar at him, she saw how handsome and good looking he was. He was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and a red plaid shirt on top. God, he looked good! There goes her resolve out the window.

Dean saw her as she was making her way towards the table he was sitting at. She looked beautiful in an all-black outfit. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought she was a hunter, just like he used to be.

-''Hi, Dean. Sorry if I'm late.'' – she said with a smile.

-''Hi, Smiles. No worries, I just got here as well.'' – he answered, thinking to himself that he was such a liar. He had been there for at least an hour, trying to come to terms with his decision of not telling her how he felt.

-''So, how was your day? Anything interesting happened in the construction world?'' – she asked with a slight chuckle.

-''Oh, you know, the usual. Nothing worth mentioning. How about you? How's vacation going?''

-''Aside from playing nurse last night, not much to report.''- she answered with a grin on her face, which made him chuckle.

The rest of the night was spent talking about what they liked and what they hated. The more they talked, the more they realized they had more in common then they initially thought. They both liked pie, classical rock, beer and scotch and classic cars. Finding these things about each other, made them both think that the early decision that they made was at risk.

Dean couldn't help but feel happy when he was near her. She made the world feel like a simple place, even though he knew that wasn't the case. When he was with her, he would smile and laugh. And even when he was away from her, she was in his thoughts and that would make him smile everywhere he would go. But there was a little voice in the back of his head that kept telling him that if his past caught up with him, she could get hurt, and he wasn't about to let that happen. She made him happy and he wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Even if that meant giving up his life for her. That's settled. He was going to keep her safe and protected.

Dean was having this train of thought as he was talking and watching Hope trying to beat him at a game of pool, and Hope noticed that there was something going on in his mind but didn't say anything. She shrugged it off, thinking that he was probably trying to plan his next move in the game.

As Dean started playing, Hope realized that there was no way she couldn't fall for him even harder. He made her laugh, smile and she never felt so safe with anyone as she feels when she's with him. She knew that he was responsible for her current happiness and she wasn't going to throw that way. But she knew that, at any given moment, she could have to just pick up and leave, without being able to even say goodbye. That's what was making things even harder for her, she wanted to just let go but she knew she couldn't. What was she going to do? ''The hell with this'', she thought. She was going to enjoy what she had at that moment, and if the time comes where she has to leave, well, then she'll leave. But until then, she was going to play pool, drink beers, laugh and smile with Dean.

The game ended with Dean winning. She caught him letting her win and call him out on it, so he played has always. Of course he would win. He always did in the past.

They sat down at a table, with a couple of beers and started talking again.

-''So, how did you get so good at pool? 'Cause those were some impressive shots.'' – she asked him with a smile.

-''Well, when I was younger, me and my younger brother would travel around the country with my dad because of his job. Sometimes we would get really short on cash and I would play pool for money. No one would believe a twelve, thirteen year old would be able to beat them, so…'' – Dean answered with a sad smile, remembering Sammy, not quite sure why he told her the truth. Maybe it was because he felt that he could tell her anything and that she wouldn't judge him.

Hope, noticing that that made him sad, quickly apologizes.

-''I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude or make you sad. I'm so sorry.''

-''It's okay. You didn't intrude. It's just that, it's been a while since I've told anyone about my childhood and usually when that happens I get shut down, so…'' – he said, shrugging his shoulders.

-''Well, I won't do that. If you ever want to talk, about anything, I'm right here.'' – she answered with a kind and sweet smile. God, how he loved that smile!

Soon it was time to call it a night and, just like the night before, he offered to drive her home. She accepted, she would take any excuse to be with him a little longer.

As they got to her place, they said their goodnights and Hope went inside thinking that she would give anything to just sleep in his arms. With that thought in her mind, she went to sleep and spent the entire night dreaming of him.

After dropping Hope home, Dean made his way back to his rented apartment, thinking of Hope and how he wished he would have given her a goodnight kiss. He thought of how would feel to have her in his arms all night and to wake up to her beautiful smile every day. With that thought still lingering in his mind, he went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A week went by and Hope had spent every night at the bar with Dean. They would talk about everything and anything, from their childhoods to how they found their way to that small town in the middle of nowhere. Of course there were some things they weren't ready to tell each other, such as the reason that brought Hope there or what Dean really did before being in construction or even Dean's brother, Sam. That's all Hope knew about his brother: his name. Dean wouldn't talk much about it and she wasn't going to push. Things were good as they were, but neither of them had made their feelings known to each other.

But that was about to change.

After another night at the bar, Dean once again drove her home but this time she decided to invite him in. Once inside, she grabbed a couple of beers and they sat on the couch talking.

-''You know something I've just realized, I never got to thank you for what you did that first night at the bar.'' – she said with an embarrassed smile.

-''You don't need to thank me. I would do it again in a heartbeat.'' – he answered, making her blush a bit.

With that she got close and kissed him on the cheek, saying ''Thank you, Dean''.

He couldn't help himself. He turned his face towards her and gave her a gentle, sweet kiss on the lips, taking her by surprise and making her blush. When he pulled away, just enough for both to catch their breaths, he murmured ''Always''. With that said, he cupped her face in his hand and leaned in for another kiss, which this time was a lot more passionate. They kissed until both of them couldn't take it anymore.

As she started removing his shirt and t-shirt, she could feel his hands wandering all over her body. Next thing she knew, they were making their way towards her bedroom and nothing could be held back. Everything fell into place; they were perfect for each other. As he was thrusting inside her, her rhythm was in perfect sync with his. Not soon after, they both released and feel onto each other with a sense of completion. Nothing could have prepared them for the overwhelming feeling that came next. The feeling that they could never be apart, that despite everything in their pasts, this was happiness.

-''You okay?'' – Dean asked, a bit afraid, in case she regretted what just happened.

-''Never better'' – she answered smiling, noticing how worried he was.

-''Do you regret doing this, Hope?''

-''No, not in a million years. Do you?'' – now Hope was the one afraid. Was it possible that he already regretted sleeping with her?

-''Never. Do you know why?'' – as he asked her, she shook her head, worried.

-''Because I love you. I feel for you the moment I saw you at the diner, smiling at everyone, no matter how busy you were. I feel for your smile, your laugh, everything about you. I just couldn't seem to find the right moment to tell you. You make me happy like I haven't been in years. With you I learned how to smile again, how to laugh again, and I promise you, Hope, I will never let anyone hurt you. I will give my life for you if that means you will be safe. I can only hope that you feel the same and if you don't, I'll under…'' – Dean said before being cut off by Hope's kissing him on the lips.

-''I love you, too.'' – was all she was able to say before Dean kissed her until they were both out of breath.

They spend the rest of the night together, something that both had dreamed about. And it was even better than they both imagined.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next morning Hope woke up to an empty bed. ''Could it be possible that last night was just a dream?'', she thought. It wasn't. There, on a chair next to the bed, was Dean's plaid shirt. The night before had been perfect. She never felt so loved and desired by anyone like she was by Dean. As she's lost in her thoughts, she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She got up and put on the first thing at hand: Dean's shirt. As she leaned on the kitchen doorway, she saw Dean making breakfast. He had made pancakes, french toast, orange juice and coffee and was in the process of making scrambled eggs and bacon.

Dean looked up from the frying pan and saw Hope standing at the doorway, wearing his shirt. Damn, it looked good on her. The first thought that came to his mind was how he wished they could be like that forever. Just the two of them being this happy.

-''Morning, Smiles.'' – Dean said, as he kissed her.

-''Morning. What you're up to? Feeding a battalion?'' – she joked, looking around.

-''Funny. I didn't know what you were in the mood for, so…''

-''Everything looks great. But you didn't need to do all this.''

-''I know. I just felt like it.''

Hope got her arms around his neck, kissing him and letting out a chuckle when she realized he had pancake batter in his hair.

-''You know, the batter goes in the pan not on your hair'' – she said, taking the batter out.

He smiled, looked at her and kissed her like they hadn't seen each other in forever. The kiss grew stronger and more eager and soon enough, they were in each other's arms, making love right there in the kitchen. They didn't care about the mess around them. All they wanted was to be together. Afterwards, they decided to skip breakfast and just spend the rest of the day in bed.

Days had passed and Hope was already back to work. This vacation turned out a lot better then she had expected.

Dean's morning routine remain the same: pie and black coffee at the diner in one of Hope's booths. The difference was that now he was taking her to work every morning.

They would spend the days working, at night they would grab a beer at the local bar, the ''Drunk Duck'', and then they would go to either Hope or Dean's place and spend the night there. Everything was perfect. They would go to bed together and would wake up together, just like they had dreamed of at the beginning.

But things were about to change.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Hope and Dean had been together for four months, when Hope got the call that would change everything.

She was finishing up the dishes, while Dean was watching a game on TV. Her phone rang and when she answered it, she felt her blood disappearing.

-''Hello?''

-''You know, you always looked beautiful with your hair in a ponytail.'' – said the voice on the other side.

-''No.''

-''What? You thought I wouldn't find you? You're mine. Not his. I'll always find you.''

Hope hung up the phone and rushed to her bedroom, not being able to say a word to Dean who was looking at her confused. Who could possibly be on the other side of that call that got her so panicked?

As Dean followed her into the bedroom, he found her packing her bags and getting ready to leave.

-''Hope, what's going on?'' – Dean asked.

-''I-I can't. I have to go. I have to leave town.''

-''What? Why? What's going on? Hope, talk to me, please.'' – he pleaded. He was watching the woman he loved in panic, getting ready to leave town and he didn't know what to do to stop her.

-''Hope, tell me what's going on. Who was that on the phone?'' – he said as he grabbed her by the arms and turned her to him, in an attempt to calm her down.

-''There's something I never told you. Something about my past.'' – she said trying to keep calm.

-''Okay, what is it?'' – he asked, a bit confused. It's fair to say that they had never discussed their pasts a lot, so it was no surprise that both of them had some secrets. But now her past has, somehow, caught up with her and she was still trying to protect him from it.

-''A few years ago, I met this guy, Mark, at the diner I was working at. He worked there as well. We started dating and everything was good, up until the moment we decided to live together. He started becoming aggressive, obsessive and possessive and he started beating me up on a regular bases. Soon I wasn't allowed to leave the house without him, not even to go shopping. Things got to the point where he almost beat me to death and left me to die in the kitchen floor, after one of his beatings. That was when I decided that enough was enough and I ran away. I borrow money from a good friend and left town. Every time I would be more than just a couple of months in a town, he would find me and I had to leave again. This is the longest I've been in one place. And now I have to leave again. I'm sorry. I have to go, Dean. If he gets me, he WILL kill me. It's not a matter of IF he will. It's a matter of WHEN.''

She told him everything in one breath. She had never told anyone, he was the first. How it hurt her to have to leave him. She loved him so much and now that she was finally happy, she had to leave. How can life be so cruel?

-''Do you love me, Hope?'' – he asked her, leaving an already in tears Hope, confused.

-''Of course I do. But I know what he's capable of, Dean. He won't come just after me. He will go after you as well. He will make your life a living hell, just to get at me. And I'm not gonna let that happen.''

-''My life was already a living hell before I met you, Hope. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I'm not gonna lose you. Not without a fight. I made you a promise that first night, remember? I promised you that I would never let anyone hurt you. And I intend on keeping that promise. Enough running. Let him come. I'll make sure he never hurts you again, Smiles. I promised.'' – Dean said those words sternly and with an urgency she had never heard from him. Still, she was uncertain of what to do.

-''Stay, Hope. I promise I won't let him hurt you, even if it kills me. Please. I love you.''

Hope was tired of running and being with him was the only true happiness she had ever known. She knew Mark would come for her, she knew he would make Dean's life hell on earth just to get to her, she knew that if he gets her, he would most likely kill her, but hearing those words coming from Dean, she was having second thoughts about running away again. She didn't know what to do. So, she decided to wait 'till morning. She spent the entire night tossing and turning due to nightmares. She would see Mark hurting Dean, killing him, torture him, all while he made her look, made her saw everything that he was doing to the man she loved.

Dean never left her side, hushing her, soothing her, keeping her calm. She always felt safe in his arms and that's where he was gonna keep her. Right in his arms. He wasn't going to let some crazed ex-boyfriend come and hurt her. Not on his watch. He was going to have to trust in his training as a hunter to keep this guy away from the woman he loved. He could see how scared she was, how she shook as she told him everything, how she couldn't even look him in the eyes thinking that he would think less of her if she just kept running. He would never. He knew all too well what it was like to run from your past. He was going to make sure that she never needed to run again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The next morning Hope woke up with a massive headache due to all the crying she had done the night before and the fact that she didn't sleep much didn't help either. She was still trying to wake up when her phone rang. She jumped and immediately started shaking, but as she reached to answer it, Dean was already answering it and he didn't looked happy.

-''Hello?''

-''Ah, you must be the guy who's sleeping with my girlfriend.''

-''Last time I checked it was ex-girlfriend.''

-''Whatever rocks your boat, buddy. Just keep in mind that she's mine and that you are nothing but a place warmer. I will come for her and when I do, you better be long gone, capisce?''

-''Now you listen: you don't know me and trust me when I say you don't want to. You will stay away from her, don't come anywhere near her, don't even think about her or, I swear to God, I'll rip you apart with my bare hands, capisce?'' - Dean said and Mark hung up.

Hope never saw this side of Dean. He was menacing. The way he said that made her think that he might go through with his threat if Mark ever comes near her, which actually made her feel safe in an odd way. She knew Dean would never hurt her, but she wasn't so sure about anyone who wanted to hurt her. She saw a glimpse of that that first night at the ''Drunk Duck's parking lot.

Dean looked over at Hope and saw that she was a bit scared, what he didn't know was if it was of Mark or of himself. He got afraid that she might be scared of him; he never wanted that, not her.

-''You okay, babe?'' – he asked, afraid of the answer.

-''Yeah, I think.'' – she answered, unsure of how she really was. She knew she was scared that Mark might come after her even after Dean's threat but at the same time she felt safe knowing that Dean will protect her.

-''What you're thinking about, Smiles?'' – he asked, giving her a comforting smile, trying to reassure her that he would never hurt her.

-''The truth? I'm scared that he still might came after me even thou you threatened him not to, but at the same time I feel safe. Does it make sense?'' – she answered confused.

-''Yes, it does. But don't worry. Even if he does, he'll have to deal with me before he can get to you and I'm not letting him anywhere near you.''

He was relieved when she said that. She wasn't scared of him, thank God. If she was, it would have broken his heart. He never wants her to feel scared of him, not her, not ever. She was his whole world and it would kill him if she would ever feel scared or threatened by him.

After a while, Hope got up and started getting ready for work and so did Dean. When he dropped her off at the diner, he told her to call him in case something happened. In fact, he made her promise that she would. She kissed him goodbye, got of the truck and went inside. Today, Dean didn't have time for breakfast. He was already running late for work and if he didn't hurry, he wouldn't make it in time.

Hope started her shift as usual, serving her regulars but missing one very important regular: Dean. He didn't had time for breakfast and she understood. But that didn't meant that she wouldn't miss him. At this point, all she wanted was a normal shift, a shift without any drama what so ever. But as in everything, that was just wishful thinking.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

As Hope was making her rounds through her booths, making sure everyone had everything they needed, Hope notice someone sat down at one of her empty booths. She picked up the coffee pot and made her way to the booth. But when she got there, she almost dropped the pot. Mark was sitting right there. She started panicking, but did her best not to show to everyone else, specially to Mark.

-''Good morning. My name is Hope and I'll be your server. What can I get you today?'' – Hope said, trying to be as professional as she could.

-''Hello, pet. Didn't think I would come here, would you?''

-''What do you want, Mark?'' – she was shaking as she spoke, but she couldn't let him know.

-'' You know exactly what I want. So, be a darling, go tell your boss you have to leave and we'll go get your things and go home. What you say?''

-''Not happening, Mark. I'm not going anywhere with you.''

-''Pet, it's either: you come with me or I'll start shooting. Your choice.'' – as he said this, he shows her the gun he had been hiding under the table. She panicked. She knew Mark would have no problem in shooting her right there and then. She looked over to the other booths and saw the clients she had that morning: an old couple celebrating their anniversary, a young couple on their second date, a family with their two young children. She couldn't let them see that.

-''I'll go. Just let me get my things.''

-''Don't take too long, pet.'' – Mark growled.

Hope had to think of a way to let Dean know what was going on. She couldn't call and talk to him directly, she knew Mark was watching her every move. So, she did the next best thing, ask someone to call him. But who?

-''Hey, boss, gotta a minute? I need to talk to you.'' – Hope already knew what she was going to do, when she called her boss over.

-''Sure, what's going on kid?''

-''I'm sorry for doing this, but something came up and I have to leave. It's that ok?'' – she was shaking and praying that her boss wouldn't object.

-''Sure, kid. Today is a slow day. Don't worry about it.'' – her boss said with a smile. Hope was hopping to have an opening to ask him to call Dean, but as she was about to ask, her boss got pulled way. ''Crap!'', she thought. How she was going to warn Dean now, she had no idea. She went around the counter and grabbed her bag, placing her cell in the pocket of her uniform, already dialing Dean. It's the only way.

Hope left the diner with Mark right behind her, pushing her into his car. She got in and as soon as Mark got in all she felt was a sharping pain to her side. Mark had punched her side. She had to keep her lips sealed shut not to let out a yell.

-''That was for taking too long.'' – said Mark as he took his car out of the diner parking lot.

-''Where are going, Mark?'' – she was scared, she didn't know if Dean had pick up her call or not, she could only hope he had. If so, she had to get information to Dean so he could find her.

Dean heard his phone ring and immediately as he saw Hope's name flashing on the screen he knew something was wrong. He answered the call and called her name. When she didn't answer he panicked. When the voices finally came across he was already sitting in his truck, driving away for the construction site. He heard a loud thump and Mark's voice saying that that was for taking too long, then he heard Hope's voice asking him where they were going. He could hear the pain and the fear in her voice. ''At least she's alive'', he thought. ''Keep talking, babe. Tell me where you are.'', he kept thinking to himself.

-''Where are we going, Mark?'' – she asked him again.

-''Well, first we are going to get your things and then we are going home, pet.'' – Mark answered with a smile.

-''Don't call me pet and I'm not going anywhere. This is my home.'' – she decided if she was going to die, at least she was going down fighting. Mark's hand left the wheel and landed across her face with such force it made her see stars. This time she couldn't hold a yell.

-''That's for talking back. Do you want to try that again?''

-''Bite me.'' – she spit back at him.

Now Mark was stopping the car on an alley, slowly taking his seatbelt off and turning to her, closed his fist and punched her right in the stomach, repeatedly. Hope cried out. She tried protecting herself but it was to no use. Mark got his seatbelt on again and they drove to her place in silence, the only sounds being the engine and the occasional sob that would come out of Hope's lips.

Dean was driving like a maniac at this point. He heard everything. The slap, Hope talking back at Mark (which actually made him proud), the punches and the crying yell that came after that. When he heard that, his blood boiled. He had broken his promise. Mark was hurting her and he wasn't there to protect her. He drove as fast as he could to get to her, always praying to God that he wouldn't get there too late.

As they were pulling up to Hope's place, Mark warned her. No attempts at escaping or warning anyone or things would get bad for her. Hope did as instructed: she got out of the car and went straight for the front door. But as she's walking through the door, Mark shoved her inside, making her fall. He took the opportunity and started kicking her as if she was a soccer ball. He hit her so hard that at one point she thought she was going to die.

-''Did you really think you could run away from me, bitch?'' – he said as he kicked her. All she could do was take it and hope that he wouldn't hit the phone that was still in her pocket. – ''Your little lover can't help you now.''

Dean was getting closer to the house as he was hearing what Mark was doing to her. God, when he puts his hands on Mark, he's going to wish he was never born. Dean was starting to feel that old adrenaline he always felt right before a hunt. Only this time he wasn't hunting a demon, a vampire or a werewolf, no, he was hunting the man that was hurting the woman he loved. Soon he saw the house, just a few more feet and he could help Hope. He parked in front of the neighbor's house so he wouldn't tip Mark off that he was there.

Hope was lying on the floor, when she thought she had heard Dean's truck. Mark was wandering around the living room, looking at the pictures of her and Dean in different places, and murmuring something she couldn't understand. That's when she saw him. Dean. Tears flooded her eyes. She was saved. He was there and he was going to protect her.

Dean got in the house through the back door and made his way through the kitchen. That's when he saw her, lying on the wood floor of the living room, tears and a look of relief in her eyes. He had beaten her up pretty bad. That only made him angrier. He saw Mark looking at their pictures and he knew that that moment was the best moment to strike. Dean made his way out of the kitchen, putting a finger to his lips towards Hope, making sure she knew she had to be quiet. She knew.

Dean jumped on Mark's back and put him on a choke hold. Mark was caught by surprise but manage to put his elbow through Dean's ribs. Dean let go and the dance began. Mark tried to pull the gun on Dean, but Dean grabbed his hands even before the gun was pointed at him. They struggled for the gun, until Dean was able to get it out of Mark's hand and send it flying across the floor. Mark punched him just above his eye, making him bleed. Dean kicked him in one knee, making him fall. As he was falling, he was able to pull the legs of Dean from under him. Dean landed on his back and suddenly he had Mark on top of him punching him left to right, until they both heard a gunshot.

When the gun slide, Hope tried to made her way towards the gun. It wasn't easy, but she knew what she had to do. With the gun in hand, she waited until she had a clean shot. She wasn't an expert shooter, but as long as she aimed for the body, she was good. The moment came when she saw Dean on the floor and Mark on top of him. She took the shot.

Dean heard the shot and then watched as Mark widen his eyes in realization of what just happened. He fell forward and Dean had to push him out of him. That's when he realized where the gunshot came from. Hope was standing across the room with the gun in her hand, bloodied and shaking like a leaf. He got up really slowly, afraid that any sudden move might scare her even more and she would shoot again. He made his way towards her and took the gun from her hands, while holding her close to his chest. She began crying again and all he could do was hold her.

Sirens could be heard in the distance. Someone heard the gunshot and called the cops. When they got there, they found Dean holding a crying Hope. They were both covered in their own blood. Hope wouldn't stop shaking and Dean wasn't about to leave her side. They gave their statements to the Detective in charge, before being sent to the hospital to be checked out, and the Detective rule it as self-defense.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Dean searched the hospital for the room Hope was in, eventually finding it. As he entered, he saw she was still sedated. The doctors told him that she was going to be okay, but that she had a few broken ribs, a busted lip and a few cuts and bruises. Right now, what she needed was rest, so the doctors had sedated her so she could rest. He found a chair and pulled it close to the bed so he could hold her hand.

-''Hi, Smiles. I don't know if you can hear me, but there's something I need to tell you and I don't know if I can say it with you awake. I'm sorry. I broke my promise. I should've been there. I should've protected you. I'm so sorry. If only I had stay at the diner with you, this wouldn't have happen. I'm sorry.'' – Dean cried as he was saying these words. He felt responsible for what had happen. He broke his promise.

Dean fell asleep on the chair, only awaken by the nurses and doctors who would come to check on Hope's condition. The day had turned into night and into day again by the time Hope came out of her sedated sleep. Looking around to get her bearings, she saw Dean sleeping on a chair a bit too small for him. She couldn't help but smile at the sight. She closed her eyes, thinking of what had happened earlier. Mark threatening her out of the diner, the punch to her side, the slap, the punches to her stomach, the beating in her house, Dean appearing from the kitchen, the fight that ensued, the gun sliding through the floor, her struggle to get to the gun and then to get to her feet, Mark on top of Dean beating him up, the gunshot and the sight of him flopping on top of Dean. Just now she was realizing that she had killed him. She had never shot anyone, but it was a matter of life and death. It's was either her and Dean or Mark and she would do it again in a heartbeat if that meant that Dean would live. As she open her eyes, she saw Dean looking at her with a worried face and tears in his eyes.

-''Hi, Smiles.'' – he was the first to talk.

-''Hi.'' – her voice sounded rough. Maybe it was because her throat was dry but she sounded different. – ''How long have I been out?''

-''Since we got to the hospital, yesterday. How you're feeling?'' – he asked, cautiously.

-''Sored, like a truck ran me over. Other than that, peachy.'' – she gave him a tired smile and stretch her hand towards him. She wanted to touch him, make sure that he was really there.

-''You scared me, Smiles. You certainly took your time to wake up.'' – he grabbed her hand, a tear escaping his eyes.

-''Sorry, but I was dreaming of you. That's why I didn't wake up earlier.'' – he smiled at her answer, kissing her as he smiled.

-''Why dream when I'm right here and not going anywhere?''

-''You sure? Not running for the hills yet?'' – she gave him that smile he fell in love with. That's when he knew that he wasn't going anywhere.

In that moment, Dean renewed his promise to her. He was always going to be there for her. He was never going to leave her alone again. He was going to protect her no matter what, no matter the cost. He loved her with everything he had and everything he was. She was his whole world and he couldn't even imagine being without her. She had faith and hope in him. That's all that matter. He loved her and she loved him.

Hope knew in that instant that she could stop running. She could settle in that small town and actually feel safe. She had the man she loved by her side and nothing was gonna change that. She was free. She knew that life could be cruel, but right at that second life looked pretty good to her. She loved him and he loved her.


End file.
